Steering coltjlor bushing



Feb. 16, 1932. F. c. MORRIS STEERING GOLUMN BUSHING Original Filed April 22, '1929 INVENTOR; F'red CI Mar- 15.

Reissued Feb. 16, 1932 were s'rA'rss FRED C. MORRIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA STEERING COLUMN BUSHING Original No. 1,829,530, dated October 27, 1931, Serial No. 357,156, filed April 22, 1929.;App1ication for reissue filed November 27,

This invention relates to steering columns for motor vehicles, and particularly to bush ings for such steering columns in which a particular type of horn push button is incorporated necessitating the insulated passage of an electrical current through the bushing, the principal object being the provision of a new and novel bushing for such steering columns.

Another object is to provide a steering column bushing formed of moldable material and having secured to one endthereof a contact plate. I

Another object is to provide a steering col- 5 umn bushing of moldable material having a contact plate secured to one end thereof in a manner to prevent shifting of the plate and to amply insulate it from possible short circuiting with the steering column or mast jacket of an automobile steering column in which it is to be used.

Another object is to provide a steering column bushing of moldable material having a metallic contact plate secured to one end thereof and provided with a conductor eX- tending through the bushing.

A further object is to provide a steering column bushing formed of moldable material and having a metallic contact plate vulcanized to one end thereof.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawings which show a suitable embodiment of the present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several different views- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary partially broken view of the upper end of a motor car steering post showing a suitable embodiment of the present invention in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bushing shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a partially broken side elevation of a slightly modified form of bushing.

1931. Serial No. 577,721.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the contact plate employed in connection with the bushing shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partially broken side elevation of another modified form of bushing taken as on the line 55 of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bushing shown in Fig. 5. v

The present invention relates to a steering column bushing designed particularly for use in connection with a widely used form of hornpush button construction, and in which the steering column bushing is provided with a contact plate on its upper surface insulated from the metallic parts of the steering post and connected by a wire extending down through the upper end of the steering post to a suitable source of electricalcurrent.

Heretofore, as far as I am aware, the bushings employed in connection with such horn push buttons have been made of wood and provided with a contact plate secured thereto by crimping, and inasmuch as such bushings are liable to be afi'ected by the weather, their fit on the shaft varies accordingly and the contact plates secured to them have shown thetendency to work loose and to cause short circuiting. Furthermore, the bushings have had a tendency, in some cases, to seize to the shaft and thereafter turn in the mast jacket, often causing breakage of the conductor wire leading from their contact plates. Accordingly, I have provided-in the present invention, a construction which eliminates all of the disadvantages which heretofore have been present in connection with the bushings conventionally employed with this-type of horn push button. I

Referring to Fig. 1 in which a steering post employing the type of horn push button herein referred to its shown, 10 indicates the mast jacket in which the steeringpost 11 is rotatably received. A steering wheel 12 is nonrotatably secured to the upper end of the post 11 by means of a nut 13. Secured to the upper faces of the wheel 12 by means of screws such as 14 is a sleeve member 15 in which a button member 16 is slidably received, the lower edge of the button being outwardly flared as at 17 and the outer edge of the sleeve being inwardly flared as at 18 to limit the outward movement of the button 16 which is constantly urged outwardly by means of a coil spring 19 held under compression between the upper end of the post 11 and the disc 20 received in the enlarged end of the button 16. A U-sha'ped extending wire member 21 is clamped between the plate 20 and the reduced portion of'the button 16, and its legs 22 ex tend axially of'thepost 11 through grooves 23 formed in the bore of the wheel 12 and project to a pointbelow the lower'edge of the hub of the wheel 12 which, is rotatably received'in the upper end of the mast jacket 10.

The bushing comprising the present invention is positionedimmediately below the lower ends of the legs 22 of the U-shaped member 21 between the mast j acket'lO.v and the post 11, the: mast jacket 10 having one or mOre inwardly struck portions. such as 24act-ingto limit the axial position of the bushing rela-,

tive; to. the jacket;

, In accordance with the present invention, the bushing illustrated as. the preferred form is comprised of an outer sleeve of soft rub-- her and an encircled sleeve 31 of hard rubber Which, in turn, is provided with a llner 32 of V fabricwhichrnay or may not beimpregnated with graphite or other dry lubricant. The bushing is sov formed'that the liner 32 formsa bearingsleeve for the post 11 andis main.-

tained. inproperi shape by the hard rubber bushing 31. The original or free diameter of the soft rubber portion 30 isgreater than the internal diameter'of the mast jacket 10 so thatthe softrubber must be compressed when itis inserted intothe jacket 10. The friction thus setup. between the soft rubber 30' and the jacket 10v is great enough to effectively pre.--- vent any possible relative rotation of the bushing and the jacket. 'It is, of course,

understood that the soft rubber is. vulcanized to the hard rubber sleeve 31 which i-nsturnisvulcanized. to the liner. 32,. and that the hard rubber liner 31, is sufiiciently rigid to withstand the; compressing action to which it is subjected upon compression of the soft rubber 30. The compression of the soft rubber 30 may be. aided by axially grooving the exterior surfacethercof as at 33,.whichthus permits the rubber to be displaced into the grooJves 33 upon radial compression.

In accordance with the construction shown in. Figs. 1 and; 2,;a metallic contact plate 34 is vulcanized to the upper end of' the bushing, This plate; 34is preferably centered by, and spaced from possible contact with thcpost 11 ,by-thehard rubber portion 31, and

is of substantially smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the jacket 10 so as to prevent any possible contact with the jacket;

10. A screw member 35'extends from the contact plate 34 down. through the bushing:

as best'indicated in Fig. 1-, and an insulated electric wire or'cable" 36 having a screw the connector member 37 1y retainits. position which is furtherv insured,

by the screw 35. being drawn down in place by The. operation of the horn itself isas follows: The wire 36: is usually connected to'the positive or live side ofthe battery and the post 11 and jacket 10 areusually connected, as by a. ground connection, to the negative; side of the battery. The horn is usually connected in the positive line 36. The. U-shaped member 21 is direct metallic; contact. with the post 11 and when the button 16- is depressed far. enough to move the lower ends of the, legs 22. into contact with the plate 34 the circuit. is

closed so. as tocause operation! of the horn.

The plate 34 may be secured to the'bushing in a number of various ways. It may be formed as indicated in. Fig. 4, in: which it is shown as a. metallic ring 40,;with a. plurality of axially extending prongs 41: at its. edge, the prongs 41 preferably being so located as to bepositioned between the hard rubber and soft rubber portions of the bushing, and thereby not onlyaiding i-n maintaim ing the centralization: of the contact plate but also. where vulcanizedin place, aiding in pro.- viding a greater area of vulcanized surface. The bond between the contact ring and the bushing material, may be further increased without depending upon the vulcanization feature, by employing a contact plate-such as 42 shown. in Figs. 5. and 6.. In this case, the contact ring 42 is provided. at its outer edge with a plurality of axially extending prongs or fingers 42. whose ends are inwardly bentas at. 44 to form an; anchoragemeans for the plate 42. A variation of the method of connectlng the wire 36 isrshown in this case and:

which comprises the provision of a tongue such as 45 bent into one of. the grooves 33 and to, which. the. end of the, cable 36 isdirectly soldered or otherwise secured, the cable36i1r such case extending; dowrr through theagroovc in its passage to therlower-endiof the bushmg.

Formal changes may be made in theqspeci fic embodiment of the invention described with.-

out departing from the spirit or substance of the-broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1

1. In combination, a steering column bushing formed of moldable material, and a-metal lic contact member inserted in one end of said bushing in flush relation with sald end.

2. In combinatlon, a steering column bushing formed of molda le material, and a metallic contact member vulcanized to one end thereof in flush relation with said end.

In combination, steering column bushing formed of moldable material, and a metallic ring of lesser internal and external diameter than said bushing inserted in one end of said bushing in concentric and flush relation therewith.

4. In combination, a bushing comprising a rigid shape maintaining shell, a cooperating shell of yieldable material, and a metallic contact ring secured to one end of said bushing and maintained in concentric relationship therewith by said rigid shell.

5. In combination, a bushing formed of cooperating hard and soft rubber shells, and a metallic contact ring secured to one end thereof.

6. In combination, a bushing comprising a hard rubber shell provided with a fabric liner and a soft rubber covering, and a metallic contact plate secured to one end of said bushing, said plate being provided with prongs imbedded in said bushing between said hard and soft rubber shells.

7. In combination, a steering column bushing formed of dielectric material having a contact member formed of electrically conductive material secured thereto, the external surface of said contact member being flush with the external surface of said bushing.

8. In combination, a steering column bushing formed of dielectric material having a contact member formed of electrically conductive material secured thereto by integral prongs extending into said bushing, the ex ternal surface of said contact member being flush with the external surface of said bushmg.

9. A bushing comprising an inner shell of fabric surrounded by a shell of hard rubber enclosed in a soft rubber case, said soft case having an annular groove in one end thereof, an annular contact member in said groove secured to said soft case and guided by said hard rubber shell.

10. A bushing comprising a fibrous bear: ing portion, a rigid shape maintaining portion of non-metallic moldable material, and a resilient cushioning portion, a contact member secured to said resilient portion and guided by said shape maintaining portion.

11. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is substantially rigid and the other deformable, and a metallic contact member operatively asso ciated with the substantially rigid member and disposed between the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member.

12. A bushing comprising outer and inner tubular members, one of which is relatively rigid with respect to the other anda metallic the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member.

13. A bushing comprising outer and inner tubular members, one of which is deformable relative to the other, and a metallic. contact member extending over the end face of one of the members.

14. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is substantially rigid and the other deformable, and a metallic contact member extending over the end face of one member and maintained in position by the more rigid member.

15. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is composed of relatively hard, insulating material and the other of deformable material, and a metallic contact member extending over the end face of one of the members.

16. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is composed of hard insulating material and the other of deformable material, and a metallic contact member operatively associated with the rigid member and disposed between the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member.

17. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is substantially rigid and the other deformable, and a metallic contact member operatively associated with the substantially rigid member and disposed between the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member, said metallic member being exposed at one end of one of the tubular members.

18. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is deformable and the other less deformable and a metallic contact element disposed between the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member, and having a portion exposed to an exterior surface of the bushing.

19. bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is deformable and the other relatively rigid, and a metallic contact element extending from one end of the bushing to the other, and being disposed between the inner surface of the inner memlger and the outer surface of the outer mem- 20. A bushing comprising inner and outer tubular members, one of which is composed 5 I of rubber and the other of fibrous material,

and a metallic contact member disposed be-.

tween the inner surface of the inner member and the outer surface of the outer member and having a portion exposed to one end of the bushing.

. 21; A bushing comprising 0111501 and inner tubular members, one of which is yiehiable" andthe othr substantially rigid and a. metal-- lie contact member operatively associated with the'more rigid member and disposed between the innersurface of the inner member and theiouter surface of the outei member and. maintained in position by such more rigid member:

. V FRED C. MORRIS; 

